Cat converters hugely reduce carbon monoxide emissions - like 80%. It's actually hard to get CO poisoning from a modern car. If you're truly worried buy a CO detector at the local hardware store (the kind used in homes to detect CO leaks from a gas/oil furnace - shouldn't be more than ~$30, and some of them even have a ppm readout).

As to warming up the car, there is zero benefit in doing so (at least to the car; I warm my car up in the winter months but that's for being a bit of wimp WRT cold). There is no need to wait for "flow" or not cause damage. If anything this behavior is feeding an unnatural obsession.

 

Respect and properly maintain cars, because that's what most experienced car enthusiasts do. But only baby the cars you own, and plan on owning long term.

I'm starting to think you're just trolling for yucks.

 

If you recall any of his past posts, your thinking may be justified.

 

Yikes! I just look at the list of threads started by Brad.

/unsubscribed for sanity

 

lol at this thread.

Living in FL I never let my car warm up even though I park it in the garage every night. Just get in, start it and drive off.

 

++++ Absolutely correct...the CATS, the warm up routine, and the CO detector. If you have a gas furnace or gas water heater, you should have a CO detector anyway. I was poisoned at work two years ago when a boiler malfunctioned..spewing CO into the building I was working. Felt like I was getting drunk.....three of my coworkers ended up in the hospital..couldn't smell anything.
Occasionally when its really cold during the winter I warm my car up in the garage for 10 or 15 minutes (with the garage door open..of course), my CO detector has never registered anything inside the house.

 

Sounds like overkill to me. I start my car, wait for it to quiet down after the oil reaches the head, which is easy to hear, then I take off. I drive gingerly until it's hot, which is only a couple minutes. Doesn't matter if the temperature is 100 degrees or 0.

 

I usually wrap my tires with warmers while I let the car idle for 10mins because race car.

 

LOL @ this thread, 3 pages & still going strong